White Acre vs. Black Acre
Encyclopedia
White Acre vs. Black Acre is an 1856
plantation fiction
novel written by William M. Burwell.
in response to Uncle Tom's Cabin
by Harriet Beecher Stowe
, published in 1852
.
Burwell's novel, however, departs from the usual outline of most anti-Tom novels, which often narrated stories of loyal slaves serving benign plantation owners who were disturbed by troublesome abolitionists
.
Instead, Burwell's novel acts as an allegory for the history of slavery in the United States, in a manner similar to George Orwell
's Animal Farm
, which acts as an allegory for the history of the Soviet Union
.
from its time as a British
province to the beginning of tensions between north and south in the 1850s. It is presented as though the story were being recounted by a retired barrister
from Lincolnshire
in England
to a reporter from the United States
.
The story takes place in the county of Shropshire
in England, where capitalist
Mr. Bull is undergoing a difficult transaction with a large quantity of land his firm has since acquired from various lucrative business deals. His main rival is Don Armado, who owns land near his own, and seeks to try and steal Bull's land from him.
When Don Armado is placated, Mr. Bull takes his business elsewhere, and the land prospers. However, the two farmers tilling the land are suddenly split over the question of whether the land ought to be tilled by ordinary, ineffective farmhands or by loyal, hardworking slaves.
The land is thus split between the two farmers. The pro-slavery segment becomes the Black Acre Farm, whilst the anti-slavery land becomes the White Acre Farm, with both competing to see which side will be the most prosperous.
by J.W. Page (1853
).
1856 in literature
The year 1856 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*Arthur Schopenhauer adds a chapter on "The Metaphysics of Sexual Love" to the third edition of his The World as Will and Representation....
plantation fiction
Anti-Tom literature
Anti-Tom literature refers to the 19th century pro-slavery novels and other literary works written in response to Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin. Also called Plantation literature, these writings were generally written by authors from the Southern United States...
novel written by William M. Burwell.
Overview
White Acre vs. Black Acre is one of several pro-slavery novels published in the Southern United StatesSouthern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
in response to Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
, published in 1852
1852 in literature
The year 1852 in literature involved some significant new books.-New books:*Manuel Antônio de Almeida - Memoirs of a Police Sergeant*Wilkie Collins - Basil: A Story of Modern Life...
.
Burwell's novel, however, departs from the usual outline of most anti-Tom novels, which often narrated stories of loyal slaves serving benign plantation owners who were disturbed by troublesome abolitionists
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
.
Instead, Burwell's novel acts as an allegory for the history of slavery in the United States, in a manner similar to George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
's Animal Farm
Animal Farm
Animal Farm is an allegorical novella by George Orwell published in England on 17 August 1945. According to Orwell, the book reflects events leading up to and during the Stalin era before World War II...
, which acts as an allegory for the history of the Soviet Union
History of the Soviet Union
The history of the Soviet Union has roots in the Russian Revolution of 1917. The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, emerged as the main political force in the capital of the former Russian Empire, though they had to fight a long and brutal civil war against the Mensheviks, or Whites...
.
Plot
The story follows the history of the United StatesHistory of the United States
The history of the United States traditionally starts with the Declaration of Independence in the year 1776, although its territory was inhabited by Native Americans since prehistoric times and then by European colonists who followed the voyages of Christopher Columbus starting in 1492. The...
from its time as a British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
province to the beginning of tensions between north and south in the 1850s. It is presented as though the story were being recounted by a retired barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
from Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to a reporter from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The story takes place in the county of Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
in England, where capitalist
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
Mr. Bull is undergoing a difficult transaction with a large quantity of land his firm has since acquired from various lucrative business deals. His main rival is Don Armado, who owns land near his own, and seeks to try and steal Bull's land from him.
When Don Armado is placated, Mr. Bull takes his business elsewhere, and the land prospers. However, the two farmers tilling the land are suddenly split over the question of whether the land ought to be tilled by ordinary, ineffective farmhands or by loyal, hardworking slaves.
The land is thus split between the two farmers. The pro-slavery segment becomes the Black Acre Farm, whilst the anti-slavery land becomes the White Acre Farm, with both competing to see which side will be the most prosperous.
Allegories
- Broadview is an English gentleman, and the main protagonist of the novel who attempts to heal the breach between the White and Black Acres. Broadview represents the readers of the story, acting as an outside influence to the ongoing conflict between the two farms.
- The White Acre Farm is one-half of the original land owned by Mr. Bull, which is tended to by a handful of farmhands incapable of harvesting the produce. The White Acre symbolises the Northern United StatesNorthern United StatesNorthern United States, also sometimes the North, may refer to:* A particular grouping of states or regions of the United States of America. The United States Census Bureau divides some of the northernmost United States into the Midwest Region and the Northeast Region...
before (and later during) the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. - The Black Acre Farm is one-half of Mr. Bull's land that is tended to by loyal, hardworking slaves who are able to farm the land easily due to their effort and numbers. The Black Acre symbolises the Southern United StatesSouthern United StatesThe Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
and the later Confederate States of AmericaConfederate States of AmericaThe Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. - Mr. Bull is a portly, ageing businessman who is overwrought by his excessive workload, and is unable to make deals effectively without additional assistance due to his age. He represents Great BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and the British EmpireBritish EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
as a whole, with his name and appearance being derived from John BullJohn BullJohn Bull is a national personification of Britain in general and England in particular, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged man, often wearing a Union Flag waistcoat.-Origin:...
. - Don Armado is a minor character who is referenced frequently as a part-associate, part-adversary of Mr. Bull who uses slaves for harvesting sugar and mining gold. His title of Don and the references to gold suggest that Don Armado represents the early Spanish EmpireSpanish EmpireThe Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
that colonized the Americas during the RenaissanceRenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
, before the arrival of the British in the 17th century.
Publication history
The novel was released in book form in 1856, and was printed by the same publishers of an earlier anti-Tom novel, Uncle Robin, in His Cabin in Virginia, and Tom Without One in BostonUncle Robin, in His Cabin in Virginia, and Tom Without One in Boston
Uncle Robin, in His Cabin in Virginia, and Tom Without One in Boston is an 1853 novel written by J.W. Page and released by J. W...
by J.W. Page (1853
1853 in literature
The year 1853 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*Charles Dickens writes Bleak House, the first English novel to feature a detective.*William Wells Brown becomes the first African American novelist to be published.-New books:...
).
See also
- Mr. Frank, the Underground Mail-AgentMr. Frank, the Underground Mail-AgentMr. Frank, the Underground Mail-Agent is an 1853 parody novel written by an unknown author credited as "Vidi".- Background :Mr. Frank is an example of the pro-slavery plantation literature genre that emerged from the Southern United States in response to the abolitionist novel Uncle Tom's Cabin in...
- Another satirical anti-Tom novel, released in 1853